Projects

The Assurance Services team works with the University’s strategic projects and has five main objectives, the focus of which will vary with each project

Objectives

Advisory services

Providing advice and support to projects, particularly in the early stages, to ensure they are set up for success and have gone through the appropriate planning processes. Additionally, engaging with projects throughout their lifecycle to ensure that they continue to deliver on their objectives whilst following the University’s values, standards and policies.

Engagement

Working with projects to provide training and guidance in order to help them to achieve their objectives.

Assurance

Using a risk based approach, working with projects to provide a level of assurance and comfort to senior stakeholders over projects’ status and ability to deliver their objectives to scope, time and budget.

Reporting

Providing regular reports to key University stakeholders, groups and committees on strategic projects. Working with project stakeholders to support accurate project reporting and making sure that risks and issues are identified and escalated appropriately.

Custodians of best practice

Maintaining the University’s Project Management Policy, Project Management Methodology, and all associated documents and templates. Ensuring all documents are accessible and projects understand the requirements necessary to comply with the methodology, standards and policies.

The University recognises that the scale and complexity of projects across the institution will be varied. The scale of assurance provided to projects will be prioritised based on their strategic importance and their risks to the University, and resources will be allocated accordingly.

In 2018/2019, the University will undergo a significant restructure of both Academic and Professional Services and it is anticipated that support provided by Assurance Services to these projects will be a priority given the fundamental importance to the success of the University. This may limit the resource available in the short-term to other project activities.

Project resources can be found on the Assurance Services SharePoint site.